


Day 4: Shadow Realm

by Mainstream_Deviant



Series: Deathshipping Week 2k19 [3]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: M/M, These boys make the weirdest friends, deathshipping week 2k19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-02 08:43:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19195504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mainstream_Deviant/pseuds/Mainstream_Deviant
Summary: For Deathshipping Week 2k19. Day 4: Shadow RealmAll Ryou wanted to do was meet a real live monster. That's not too much to ask, is it?





	Day 4: Shadow Realm

They were painting some of Ryou’s latest figurines when it first came up.

“You know… after all that happened, it’s odd to think that I never really got to play a shadow game myself.”

Kek cursed as a glob of paint ruined the end of his figurine’s cape. “Sure you did. You must have, at some point.”

“No, not really. Bakura did all of that while I was stuffed in my soul room away from the action. I never got to actually meet any of the monsters.”

“What about that one duel in Battle City?”

Ryou glared over the top of a 6-inch-tall tree. “Thirty seconds of severe disorientation doesn’t count.”

Kek huffed. “Maybe not.” He set down his brush and stretched out his back with a wince. “But you’re not missing much.”

“I still think it would be a really interesting experience, though.” Kek just hummed, and they went back to work. The topic drifted to other things as they slowly brought the figurines for their next campaign to life.

But the thing about Ryou Bakura is that when he gets an idea into his head, he doesn’t let it go until he’d seen it through. He brought it up again over dinner a few days later.

“Oh come on, let’s just try it!” Ryou gave Kek a hopeful grin.

“You’ve been sent to the shadows before. I don’t want to send you there again.” Kek pushed some rice around his plate with a frown.

“It would be more like a short vacation this time, really. And I don’t remember much of anything from the shadow realm the first time around, so that hardly counts. What I remember best is being famished when I got back, which isn’t terribly exciting. And besides,” Ryou waved a rice paper roll in Kek’s direction to emphasize his point, “this time I would have a guide to show me all the sights! It would be an adventure!”

Kek huffed and crossed his arms. “No. You could get hurt.” He knew – and so did Ryou, unfortunately for him – that he’d do almost anything for Ryou at this point, but putting Ryou in danger was definitely on the short list of exceptions.

Ryou huffed and chomped the end off of his roll, but promptly hooked his ankle around Kek’s to reassure him before leaping into gossip about Bakura’s latest escapades. They took bets on how many KaibaCorp employees were likely to get fired over them this time. Ryou figured at least three. Kek’s money was on more like ten. Kaiba must be pissed by now.

It took another week for Kek to finally crack. Ryou was splayed out on the couch, pouting as he fiddled with some loose threads on the armrest. “Pleeeeease? Just a very little visit. You know I’m not going to drop it until I see a real monster with my own eyes. We’ll be very careful. You know you can protect me, even if I manage to do something stupid.” Ryou was met with more silence, and tilted his head imploringly. “Pleeeeeeease? I’ll love you forever.”

Kek finally let out a huff of laughter. “I thought you already did?”

Ryou knew a victory when he saw one, and swapped his pout for a wide grin. “I’ll love you extra forever, then. Come on, come on, let’s try it!”

Kek let out a long sigh. “Ugh. Fine. But I’m pulling us out the instant something comes to attack you.”

“But not if it’s just saying hello.” Ryou’s face had settled into a small but determined scowl.

Kek levelled his best glare on Ryou. Ryou glared right back. Kek let out a self-deprecating chuckle and rubbed at his temple. “Fine. Deal.”

Ryou perked right up again. “Deal.” He clapped his hands and bounced in his seat excitedly. “Ok, let’s go! I want to meet some monsters!” When Kek held his arms out in invitation, he hopped to his feet and scurried over.

Kek wrapped his arms securely around Ryou’s stomach and pressed him back to his chest, before closing his eyes and tugging on the thin thread that would always connect him to the shadows. He felt Ryou’s excited fingers gripping at his forearms as a warm glow burst from his forehead and the room darkened in a swirl of deep purple. For a few long moments, all was silent. Then, Ryou was batting excitedly at his arms.

“Kek, Kek look! Isn’t that one of your cards?”

Kek opened his eyes and looked to where Ryou was pointing. There was a brief swoop of pale blue before the creature vanished again in a puff of purple smoke.

Kek grinned. “I think so, yes.” He kept one arm firmly around Ryou’s waist as they walked toward it. “Not a bad one for a first visit, either.”

Ryou gasped in delight as the creature swirled into view. It formed a lopsided face for a moment before looping around them. “I think it’s curious!” Ryou held out his fingers and practically shone in happiness as some loops of blue slime curled around his fingers. “Why didn’t you tell me revival jam was so cute in person!”

Kek rubbed at Ryou’s hip with his thumb. “I didn’t stop to talk to any of these at the time, you know.”

“You should have. He’s delightf- oh!” Ryou startled as his hand was suddenly encased in cool slime and a wobbly blue face formed a few inches from his nose. “Why hello! It’s nice to meet you!” Revival jam trembled for a moment, before slipping away back into the shadows.

Ryou clapped his hands. “That was amazing!”

“I’m glad. Let’s get out of here before…” Kek tensed as the shadows to their left rippled. That looked like something considerably larger than a revival jam.

Ryou held still and lowered his voice to a whisper. “What is it?”

Kek tightened his arm around Ryou and squinted into the nothingness. “I’m not quite sure. Something bigger.”

“Let’s see what it is!”

“Stay still, Ryou.”

Ryou nodded and kept his eyes trained on where they’d seen the last disturbance. Every few seconds there was a new ripple in the wall of darkness, but nothing came out. Kek growled. “Get on with it, would you?”

Almost as though it had been waiting for an invitation, a vicious looking claw emerged from the shadows, followed by a blue hand tipped with sharpened nails.

“Oh, that’s definitely not the jam back again, is it?”

“Hmm. No.” The beast stepped out of the shadows, gaping at them with the fanged mouth sitting where its stomach should have been. “That’s Dark Jeroid.” The creature stood as tall as a horse, though with far too many limbs, and waved its long upper claws at them slowly as it approached.

“He’s lovely!” Ryou held out a hand. “Do you think he’ll let me touch him?”

“Hell if I know, Ryou.” Kek shuffled them around to face the monster properly. “Try not to lose a hand when you try.”

“Oh, pssssh, I won’t. He’s a nice friendly fiend, isn’t he? Yes you are.” Ryou reached out and gently ran his fingers along one of Dark Jeroid’s limbs. “Oh, he’s lovely and warm. What a good beastie!”

Kek watched in bemusement as his supposedly horrifying and vicious beast gave an awful, ear-grating moan and shuffled closer to Ryou’s reaching fingers. Ryou was clearly thrilled. He reached out with both hands to run his palms along the top of the creature’s torso, where the it was noticeably lacking anything like a regular head.

Loud, rattling gasps started coming from both of the creature’s mouths, and Kek could only assume they were a Dark Jeroid’s equivalent of a purr. Kek’s silent bemusement gave way to a low chuckle, which quickly became a loud burst of laughter when the beast knelt down, tucked its limbs up underneath itself, and settled its weight into their sides like an overgrown housecat. He reached out to grasp one of the vicious-looking claws and shook his head as Ryou enthusiastically started searching for the best spots to pet the beast.

“Only you, Ryou.” Kek laid his third eye on top of Ryou’s head as Ryou continued to coo at the monster, which was now lazily flicking its tail back and forth as Ryou ran tender fingers along its limbs. “Only you.”

**Author's Note:**

> I can’t tell if this story is just about the fact that Ryou is a friend to all scary things, or whether it's more about Ryou earning the stamp of approval from his boyfriend's buddies. You know: _“So, uh, guys, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend Ryou…please be cool about this....”_
> 
> [ Tumblr ](https://mainstream-deviant.tumblr.com/)


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